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Peak performers among DBs: Cream of the NFL draft crop
By Frank Cooney, Special to USA TODAY
Help is on the way for NFL teams looking for improved air traffic control in a league where intricate passing attacks are flourishing.
According to ratings by NFLDraftScout.com, 16 defensive backs could go in the first two rounds of the draft. With a proliferation of spread offenses forcing safeties to become better man-to-man pass defenders, the abilities of Tennessee's Eric Berry are so coveted that his name could be among the first five called April 22.
A closer look at this year's top defensive back prospects, listed with their school, height, weight and projected round of selection (*denotes underclassman):
CORNERBACKS
1. *Joe Haden
Florida, 5-11, 193, 1: Haden, the first true freshman cornerback to start at Florida, appears to be the complete package. He was smooth and consistent in coverage, aggressive against the run and possessed great ball reaction with the ability to go all the way on an interception or return. At a New Jersey combine for preps in 2007, he was clocked at 4.34 seconds over 40 yards and added a vertical jump of 37 inches. At the scouting combine, his 40-yard time was in the high 4.5-second range, which shocked some scouts. His father attributed the slow time to a stiff back, and Haden was scheduled to run again at Florida's pro day this month.
2. *Earl Thomas
Texas, 5-10, 208, 1: He entered the draft as a redshirt sophomore after setting a school record with eight interceptions last season while playing safety. He then bulked up from his college weight of 195 pounds to 208 at the combine, possibly in response to concerns voiced by scouts about his ability to hold up at the next level, where he might project better as a cornerback. "The extra weight helps if I'm going to be in the box banging heads out there," Thomas says of the prospect of remaining at safety. He was a ballhawking center fielder, leading the nation with 24 passes broken up last year and collecting 143 tackles since 2008. He has the speed, instincts and attitude to play safety, but also owns the hips, man-to-man skills and ability to high-point balls in flight that could make him a formidable corner. But his college career wasn't perfect. He was the victim when Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree made the game-winning catch against Texas in 2008, and he missed several tackles in the BCS title game loss to Alabama.
3. Kyle Wilson
Boise State, 5-10, 194, 1-2: He was consistent enough to earn all-conference or All-America awards in all four seasons, impressing as a defensive back and a punt returner. He didn't run at the combine because of a pulled hamstring but showed impressive strength, bench-pressing 225 pounds 25 times. He made a positive impression at the Senior Bowl by invigorating workouts with trash talk, then backing it up by disrupting passes and wide receivers. He is extremely competitive, tough and has great ball reaction. Led his Piscataway, N.J., high school team to three state championships, including two undefeated seasons (2002, '04).
4. Devin McCourty
Rutgers, 5-11, 193, 1-2: Devin — an identical twin to Jason McCourty, a sixth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans last year — has the athletic ability to be an excellent cornerback but needs to focus on receivers as acutely as he did his book work in college. McCourty, winner of several academic honors, had a 40-yard time of 4.41 at the combine, but that speed wasn't obvious in many game situations. He was impressive on passes in front of him, but too often he allowed receivers to get deep. Last season he had 80 tackles, 10 pass breakups and an interception in 13 starts. He also was an outstanding special-teams player, blocking three kicks (he has seven in his career) and returning a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
5. *Kareem Jackson
Alabama, 5-11, 196, 1-2: Jackson, who probably could have benefited from another year in college to improve his footwork, is a hard worker in the film room and shows signs of understanding the nuances of coverage. He is more impressive in bump-and-run coverage in the first few yards than he is downfield. Jackson is an instinctive, aggressive, coverage corner who started all but one of his 41 college games. His career statistics include 159 tackles, five interceptions (164 return yards) and two blocked kicks.
6. *Dominique Franks
Oklahoma, 5-11, 194, 2: His ability to read and react to plays in front of him makes Franks a candidate for a team seeking a good zone or off-man coverage corner. He has long arms and strong hands that help when he closes on plays, but overall he is not a physical player. When Franks declared for the draft as an underclassman, he stated that he is able to "shut down one side of the field," which says more for his confidence than the reality of his ability. Last season, he had 47 tackles and two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. He flashes athleticism as a returner but seems to lack vision in finding the best place to run.
7. Patrick Robinson
Florida State, 5-11, 190, 2: He is a daring defender who plays with more confidence than consistency and will need to play within his abilities to be a consistent pro. Robinson showed his best overall play last season with career bests in tackles (47) and passes broken up (11) and was impressive during Senior Bowl workouts. He has long teased pro scouts with his ability to cover receivers and react to the ball, which first became obvious in 2007 when he had six interceptions. Robinson was suspended for taking part in the infamous Florida State academic scandal and missed the Music City Bowl and the first three games of the 2008 season.
8. Brandon Ghee
Wake Forest, 6-0, 192, 2: Ghee put on a show at the combine with a 40-yard time of 4.40 seconds and a vertical jump of 37 inches. But in games Ghee seemed to be most impressive against big receivers while struggling against smaller, quicker ones. He appeared to be more focused on making the wow hit than grabbing the interception. His production doesn't seem to match his physical ability, as evidenced by having no interceptions last season. He missed 2007 on academic suspension, was out of spring practices a year ago with a sprained knee and missed two games with a sprained ankle.
9. Chris Cook
Virginia, 6-2, 212, 2-3: Injuries and academic problems limited his production in college. But Cook is expected by many scouts to showcase his considerable athletic ability in the NFL, where he might be moved to safety. He validated his speed and explosion at the combine with a 40-yard time of 4.44 and a vertical jump of 37 inches. But considering his size, he was less than stellar on the bench press, where he hoisted 225 pounds seven times. Cook lost most of the 2005 year with a broken leg, three games in 2007 with a sprained knee and was suspended for the 2008 season for academic reasons. He has great size, excellent speed and looked good as a safety in Senior Bowl practices before being sidelined with a groin injury.
10. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah
Indiana (Pa.), 6-0, 207, 2-3: Born in Ghana, his first name means "Born on Sunday," and pro scouts are curious about how well he might play on Sundays. Owusu-Ansah displayed great ability as a returner, where he had nine career touchdowns — four on punts, three on kickoffs and one each off an interception and a fumble. But he injured his shoulder in November and was unable to play against top competition in postseason all-star games, so questions remain about how well he projects for the NFL. At the combine, he was disappointingly slow (40 yards in 4.58 seconds) and struggled in agility drills. But offseason shoulder surgery might have impacted his workout.
11. Jerome Murphy
South Florida, 6-0, 196, 3: Despite his lanky appearance, Murphy is one of the biggest hitters in this year's cornerback class. He is especially willing and impressive in run support. Last season, he had a career-high 77 tackles along with a team-leading four interceptions and seven pass breakups. He had 67 tackles and a pair of pickoffs in 2008. Although he might fit the need for the bigger cornerbacks that NFL teams seek, it wouldn't be surprising to see Murphy moved to safety, where his abilities to hit and cover will be an asset against the league's pass-happy offenses.
12. Javier Arenas
Alabama, 5-9, 197, 3: Arenas, well-known as a return artist for his prolific displays in high school, gained considerable attention as a cornerback the last couple of years. But concerns about his size and durability were underlined when he measured at 5-85/8 at the combine and was unable to complete the 40-yard dash because of a pulled hamstring. He still could not run at Alabama's pro day in early March. For his career, Arenas averaged 24.1 yards a kickoff return and 14.2 yards a punt return. His seven punt returns for touchdowns are a Southeastern Conference record. He is a cousin of Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas.
SAFETIES
1. *Eric Berry
Tennessee, 6-0, 211, 1: This is one case where there was probably nothing to be gained in terms of his football career had Berry stayed in school for one more year. This intense player has displayed distinctive on-field abilities and might be the best athlete in the draft. He certainly gave credence to that perspective at the combine, where he ran 40 yards in 4.43 seconds, soared 43 inches in the vertical jump and had the second-most reps of any defensive back by benching 225 pounds 19 times. Berry, rated as the top cornerback in the country coming out of high school, found a home at safety in college. In 2008 he led the nation with 265 return yards on seven interceptions and became the first Volunteer voted a consensus first-team All-American since Peyton Manning in 1997.
2. Taylor Mays
Southern California, 6-3, 230, 1: Even in a supposedly controlled environment, Mays seems to create controversy and defy description. At the combine, there was agreement that he measured 6-3⅛, 230 pounds. But various stop watches had his 40-yard time somewhere between 4.24 (NFL Network) and 4.43 seconds (NFL.com). According to combine officials responsible for collating official times, Mays' sprints registered at 4.31 and 4.33 seconds. So let's agree that he has a freakish combination of size and speed. The real question is what Mays does with it. His penchant for intimidating and mugging players seems to override reacting to the ball. He was used as a center-field type safety because he is at his best when things are in front of him so he can use great closing speed to make a play. But he often took bad angles on deeper plays, resulting in him trailing when he should have been on top of the receiver. If he puts it together, Mays could be a difference-maker in the NFL. His father, Stafford Mays, was a defensive lineman in the NFL for nine seasons.
3. Nate Allen
South Florida, 6-1, 207, 2: This former high school quarterbacking sensation took his athletic ability and leadership to the other side of the ball in college. At South Florida, Allen was respected as a team leader and was responsible for setting the defense on each play. He is deceptive in that he seems to play faster than he runs and is bigger than he measures. That means he has excellent instincts, technique and focus. But his man-to-man coverage ability might be good enough only to take on tight ends and backs in the NFL as he might be overmatched if singled up on a wide receiver. Scouts are looking forward to his March 30 pro day because Allen was unable to run at the combine because of a pulled thigh muscle.
4. *Chad Jones
LSU, 6-2, 221, 2: Though he's projected as a strong safety, that might be a bit of a misnomer for Jones, who managed nine bench-press repetitions of 225 pounds at the scouting combine. Jones rejected a large signing bonus from the Houston Astros, opting to play baseball and football for the Tigers. As a sophomore, he moved from nickel cornerback to starting free safety and collected 74 tackles, six pass breakups, three interceptions and had a 93-yard punt return for a touchdown. He is excellent in run support and closes well, but he must improve his backpedal. Jones posted a 2.70 ERA as a left-handed reliever in LSU's run to the 2009 College World Series championship.
5. *Reshad Jones
Georgia, 6-1, 214, 2-3: He is an interesting athlete who could have used another year in college to improve his abilities. But Jones showed considerable improvement last season, starting 13 games and collecting 73 tackles and a team-leading four interceptions. In Georgia's 44-20 Independence Bowl victory against Texas A&M, Jones had five tackles and a 59-yard interception return. His strength was evidenced by bench-pressing 225 pounds 24 times at the combine, and his explosion was quantified with 39½-inch vertical leap. He used that strength and explosion to make a lot of big hits in college. But to be consistent in the NFL he will need to wrap up better on his tackles.
6. *Morgan Burnett
Georgia Tech, 6-2, 209, 2-3: He had a coming-out party as a sophomore in 2008, when his seven interceptions tied for No. 1 in the nation, and he led his team with 93 tackles while earning All-America buzz. His production wasn't as impressive last season (85 tackles and four interceptions), but he decided it was time to turn pro anyway. He does just about everything well, with excellent awareness and reaction in man and zone coverage, and he can be intimidating as a hitter. His first career touchdown came against Matthew Stafford. Burnett was unable to run at the combine because of a pulled hamstring, but he passed the eyeball test for speed and strength in games.
Cooney is the publisher of NFLDraftScout.com, the scouting service of USA TODAY
By Frank Cooney, Special to USA TODAY
Help is on the way for NFL teams looking for improved air traffic control in a league where intricate passing attacks are flourishing.
According to ratings by NFLDraftScout.com, 16 defensive backs could go in the first two rounds of the draft. With a proliferation of spread offenses forcing safeties to become better man-to-man pass defenders, the abilities of Tennessee's Eric Berry are so coveted that his name could be among the first five called April 22.
A closer look at this year's top defensive back prospects, listed with their school, height, weight and projected round of selection (*denotes underclassman):
CORNERBACKS
1. *Joe Haden
Florida, 5-11, 193, 1: Haden, the first true freshman cornerback to start at Florida, appears to be the complete package. He was smooth and consistent in coverage, aggressive against the run and possessed great ball reaction with the ability to go all the way on an interception or return. At a New Jersey combine for preps in 2007, he was clocked at 4.34 seconds over 40 yards and added a vertical jump of 37 inches. At the scouting combine, his 40-yard time was in the high 4.5-second range, which shocked some scouts. His father attributed the slow time to a stiff back, and Haden was scheduled to run again at Florida's pro day this month.
2. *Earl Thomas
Texas, 5-10, 208, 1: He entered the draft as a redshirt sophomore after setting a school record with eight interceptions last season while playing safety. He then bulked up from his college weight of 195 pounds to 208 at the combine, possibly in response to concerns voiced by scouts about his ability to hold up at the next level, where he might project better as a cornerback. "The extra weight helps if I'm going to be in the box banging heads out there," Thomas says of the prospect of remaining at safety. He was a ballhawking center fielder, leading the nation with 24 passes broken up last year and collecting 143 tackles since 2008. He has the speed, instincts and attitude to play safety, but also owns the hips, man-to-man skills and ability to high-point balls in flight that could make him a formidable corner. But his college career wasn't perfect. He was the victim when Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree made the game-winning catch against Texas in 2008, and he missed several tackles in the BCS title game loss to Alabama.
3. Kyle Wilson
Boise State, 5-10, 194, 1-2: He was consistent enough to earn all-conference or All-America awards in all four seasons, impressing as a defensive back and a punt returner. He didn't run at the combine because of a pulled hamstring but showed impressive strength, bench-pressing 225 pounds 25 times. He made a positive impression at the Senior Bowl by invigorating workouts with trash talk, then backing it up by disrupting passes and wide receivers. He is extremely competitive, tough and has great ball reaction. Led his Piscataway, N.J., high school team to three state championships, including two undefeated seasons (2002, '04).
4. Devin McCourty
Rutgers, 5-11, 193, 1-2: Devin — an identical twin to Jason McCourty, a sixth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans last year — has the athletic ability to be an excellent cornerback but needs to focus on receivers as acutely as he did his book work in college. McCourty, winner of several academic honors, had a 40-yard time of 4.41 at the combine, but that speed wasn't obvious in many game situations. He was impressive on passes in front of him, but too often he allowed receivers to get deep. Last season he had 80 tackles, 10 pass breakups and an interception in 13 starts. He also was an outstanding special-teams player, blocking three kicks (he has seven in his career) and returning a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
5. *Kareem Jackson
Alabama, 5-11, 196, 1-2: Jackson, who probably could have benefited from another year in college to improve his footwork, is a hard worker in the film room and shows signs of understanding the nuances of coverage. He is more impressive in bump-and-run coverage in the first few yards than he is downfield. Jackson is an instinctive, aggressive, coverage corner who started all but one of his 41 college games. His career statistics include 159 tackles, five interceptions (164 return yards) and two blocked kicks.
6. *Dominique Franks
Oklahoma, 5-11, 194, 2: His ability to read and react to plays in front of him makes Franks a candidate for a team seeking a good zone or off-man coverage corner. He has long arms and strong hands that help when he closes on plays, but overall he is not a physical player. When Franks declared for the draft as an underclassman, he stated that he is able to "shut down one side of the field," which says more for his confidence than the reality of his ability. Last season, he had 47 tackles and two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. He flashes athleticism as a returner but seems to lack vision in finding the best place to run.
7. Patrick Robinson
Florida State, 5-11, 190, 2: He is a daring defender who plays with more confidence than consistency and will need to play within his abilities to be a consistent pro. Robinson showed his best overall play last season with career bests in tackles (47) and passes broken up (11) and was impressive during Senior Bowl workouts. He has long teased pro scouts with his ability to cover receivers and react to the ball, which first became obvious in 2007 when he had six interceptions. Robinson was suspended for taking part in the infamous Florida State academic scandal and missed the Music City Bowl and the first three games of the 2008 season.
8. Brandon Ghee
Wake Forest, 6-0, 192, 2: Ghee put on a show at the combine with a 40-yard time of 4.40 seconds and a vertical jump of 37 inches. But in games Ghee seemed to be most impressive against big receivers while struggling against smaller, quicker ones. He appeared to be more focused on making the wow hit than grabbing the interception. His production doesn't seem to match his physical ability, as evidenced by having no interceptions last season. He missed 2007 on academic suspension, was out of spring practices a year ago with a sprained knee and missed two games with a sprained ankle.
9. Chris Cook
Virginia, 6-2, 212, 2-3: Injuries and academic problems limited his production in college. But Cook is expected by many scouts to showcase his considerable athletic ability in the NFL, where he might be moved to safety. He validated his speed and explosion at the combine with a 40-yard time of 4.44 and a vertical jump of 37 inches. But considering his size, he was less than stellar on the bench press, where he hoisted 225 pounds seven times. Cook lost most of the 2005 year with a broken leg, three games in 2007 with a sprained knee and was suspended for the 2008 season for academic reasons. He has great size, excellent speed and looked good as a safety in Senior Bowl practices before being sidelined with a groin injury.
10. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah
Indiana (Pa.), 6-0, 207, 2-3: Born in Ghana, his first name means "Born on Sunday," and pro scouts are curious about how well he might play on Sundays. Owusu-Ansah displayed great ability as a returner, where he had nine career touchdowns — four on punts, three on kickoffs and one each off an interception and a fumble. But he injured his shoulder in November and was unable to play against top competition in postseason all-star games, so questions remain about how well he projects for the NFL. At the combine, he was disappointingly slow (40 yards in 4.58 seconds) and struggled in agility drills. But offseason shoulder surgery might have impacted his workout.
11. Jerome Murphy
South Florida, 6-0, 196, 3: Despite his lanky appearance, Murphy is one of the biggest hitters in this year's cornerback class. He is especially willing and impressive in run support. Last season, he had a career-high 77 tackles along with a team-leading four interceptions and seven pass breakups. He had 67 tackles and a pair of pickoffs in 2008. Although he might fit the need for the bigger cornerbacks that NFL teams seek, it wouldn't be surprising to see Murphy moved to safety, where his abilities to hit and cover will be an asset against the league's pass-happy offenses.
12. Javier Arenas
Alabama, 5-9, 197, 3: Arenas, well-known as a return artist for his prolific displays in high school, gained considerable attention as a cornerback the last couple of years. But concerns about his size and durability were underlined when he measured at 5-85/8 at the combine and was unable to complete the 40-yard dash because of a pulled hamstring. He still could not run at Alabama's pro day in early March. For his career, Arenas averaged 24.1 yards a kickoff return and 14.2 yards a punt return. His seven punt returns for touchdowns are a Southeastern Conference record. He is a cousin of Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas.
SAFETIES
1. *Eric Berry
Tennessee, 6-0, 211, 1: This is one case where there was probably nothing to be gained in terms of his football career had Berry stayed in school for one more year. This intense player has displayed distinctive on-field abilities and might be the best athlete in the draft. He certainly gave credence to that perspective at the combine, where he ran 40 yards in 4.43 seconds, soared 43 inches in the vertical jump and had the second-most reps of any defensive back by benching 225 pounds 19 times. Berry, rated as the top cornerback in the country coming out of high school, found a home at safety in college. In 2008 he led the nation with 265 return yards on seven interceptions and became the first Volunteer voted a consensus first-team All-American since Peyton Manning in 1997.
2. Taylor Mays
Southern California, 6-3, 230, 1: Even in a supposedly controlled environment, Mays seems to create controversy and defy description. At the combine, there was agreement that he measured 6-3⅛, 230 pounds. But various stop watches had his 40-yard time somewhere between 4.24 (NFL Network) and 4.43 seconds (NFL.com). According to combine officials responsible for collating official times, Mays' sprints registered at 4.31 and 4.33 seconds. So let's agree that he has a freakish combination of size and speed. The real question is what Mays does with it. His penchant for intimidating and mugging players seems to override reacting to the ball. He was used as a center-field type safety because he is at his best when things are in front of him so he can use great closing speed to make a play. But he often took bad angles on deeper plays, resulting in him trailing when he should have been on top of the receiver. If he puts it together, Mays could be a difference-maker in the NFL. His father, Stafford Mays, was a defensive lineman in the NFL for nine seasons.
3. Nate Allen
South Florida, 6-1, 207, 2: This former high school quarterbacking sensation took his athletic ability and leadership to the other side of the ball in college. At South Florida, Allen was respected as a team leader and was responsible for setting the defense on each play. He is deceptive in that he seems to play faster than he runs and is bigger than he measures. That means he has excellent instincts, technique and focus. But his man-to-man coverage ability might be good enough only to take on tight ends and backs in the NFL as he might be overmatched if singled up on a wide receiver. Scouts are looking forward to his March 30 pro day because Allen was unable to run at the combine because of a pulled thigh muscle.
4. *Chad Jones
LSU, 6-2, 221, 2: Though he's projected as a strong safety, that might be a bit of a misnomer for Jones, who managed nine bench-press repetitions of 225 pounds at the scouting combine. Jones rejected a large signing bonus from the Houston Astros, opting to play baseball and football for the Tigers. As a sophomore, he moved from nickel cornerback to starting free safety and collected 74 tackles, six pass breakups, three interceptions and had a 93-yard punt return for a touchdown. He is excellent in run support and closes well, but he must improve his backpedal. Jones posted a 2.70 ERA as a left-handed reliever in LSU's run to the 2009 College World Series championship.
5. *Reshad Jones
Georgia, 6-1, 214, 2-3: He is an interesting athlete who could have used another year in college to improve his abilities. But Jones showed considerable improvement last season, starting 13 games and collecting 73 tackles and a team-leading four interceptions. In Georgia's 44-20 Independence Bowl victory against Texas A&M, Jones had five tackles and a 59-yard interception return. His strength was evidenced by bench-pressing 225 pounds 24 times at the combine, and his explosion was quantified with 39½-inch vertical leap. He used that strength and explosion to make a lot of big hits in college. But to be consistent in the NFL he will need to wrap up better on his tackles.
6. *Morgan Burnett
Georgia Tech, 6-2, 209, 2-3: He had a coming-out party as a sophomore in 2008, when his seven interceptions tied for No. 1 in the nation, and he led his team with 93 tackles while earning All-America buzz. His production wasn't as impressive last season (85 tackles and four interceptions), but he decided it was time to turn pro anyway. He does just about everything well, with excellent awareness and reaction in man and zone coverage, and he can be intimidating as a hitter. His first career touchdown came against Matthew Stafford. Burnett was unable to run at the combine because of a pulled hamstring, but he passed the eyeball test for speed and strength in games.
Cooney is the publisher of NFLDraftScout.com, the scouting service of USA TODAY